IMUs are sensors that typically use accelerometers and gyroscopes to measure linear and angular motion of an object. IMUs are commonly used in a number of applications where information about object motion is desired. Examples include vehicles, aircraft, and satellites. IMUs are also commonly used to measure motion of different parts of a larger object.
IMUs measure accelerations from gravity and motion. The gravitational acceleration can be used for angle calculations, but the acceleration from motion can degrade the angle calculations. Since it is not always possible to make static measurements, the non-gravitational accelerations (i.e., accelerations from motion of the sensors) can be determined and accounted for to improve accuracy of the angle calculations.
Improved methods of determining non-gravitational accelerations of IMUs are desired.